Arsenal legend Martin Keown has praised Granit Xhaka in the Gunners’ Europa League win over PSV Eindhoven.
Mikel Arteta’s charges reached the knockout stages of the competition with two games to spare.
In addition, Arsenal have now won their last eight in a row, and have 10 wins from 11 this season.
The Gunners weren’t at their best, but as all top teams do, they found a way through and got the job done.
Granit Xhaka got the winner in the 70th minute for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Substitute Martin Odegaard played a key role, playing the ball to the overlapping Takehiro Tomiyasu.
The defender found the unmarked Xhaka 15 yards out, who struck first time to beat the impressive Walter Benitez.
And Keown loved what he saw from the Switzerland international as he struck for the Gunners.
“He’s becoming an Arsenal fans’ favourite,” he told BT Sport.
“Would you have ever have thought that was thinkable?
“He’s going from strength to strength.
“You could see you was trying to position himself in those advance positions and the finish was fantastic.”
Xhaka’s time at the Emirates has seen him go from hero to zero and back again – a real redemption arc.
He was captain, then fell out with the fans, lost the armband and was on the verge of leaving.
Xhaka stuck around, but he continued to split the fanbase – until this season.
Now, he has become an undroppable figure in the heart of the Arsenal midfield.